Contents

Overview

After a long way of traveling, the team finally makes it to the Earth Kingdom. Not long before they make their first footsteps on Earth Kingdom land, a mysterious gypsy woman predicts that Chen is going to discover something about himself so immense it will change the way he and the world looks at him forever, and that a great danger is brewing for the three children. The kids are confused by what the gypsy woman says, though they soon see her predictions come through, when they read a newspaper full of disquieting news.

Synopsis

The chapter opens with a ferry floating through the sea, pulled by two large seals. Eventually, the ferry stops at the shore, and Mina, Kaila, Chen, and Momo step out of the ferry. Mina thanks the man who transported them, and the man quietly tells her it's no problem, and that he'd do anything to help some young rebels. Mina smiles, and then the man leaves on his ferry. Kaila and Chen look a little out of it, and Mina happily welcomes them to the Earth Kingdom, or what was once the Earth Kingdom. Chen says it's not much different from the Fire Nation, but Kaila says it once was much different, as it was once full of Earthbenders and citizens wearing green. While the team talks, two Dai Li agents listen from behind a tree. Suddenly, Mina sees them, grabs Kaila and Chen, and takes them out of the agent's sight. Mina then tells them to be quite, as there are Dai Li agents spread across the Earth Kingdom. Kaila and Chen both know about the Dai Li, and they nod in agreement.

The team then wonders down a long path, until they finally stumble across a big purple tent with an odd symbol on it. Kaila advises Mina and Chen to stay out of it, though Momo's curiosity gets the best of him, and he flies into the tent, forcing them to go after him. In the tent, a strange gypsy woman sits on a table, with a red sphere in front of her. Mina apologizes, though the lady, who has a name tag reading "Esmeralda", simply nods. She then insists that the children sit down to hear their fortune. The lady then singles Chen out, grabs him and sits him in front of her. She then takes Chen's palm and closes her eyes. Chen asks her what she sees, and the gypsy calmly tells him that in a short amount of time, he will make a discovery about himself so incredible the world will be stunned. Chen is both scared and a bit excited, but then the lady warned Chen, Mina, and Kaila that danger is brewing, and that they must "be aware". She then sits passively for a few minutes, and then she awakens once more, and tells Mina, Kaila, Chen, and Momo to "get out". The team then leaves, all of them a bit creeped out.

The team departs, and Mina, worried, asks Kaila and Chen if they think what the lady said will come true. Kaila dismisses it as creepy propaganda, but then a mysterious newsboy hands Mina a Fire Nation newspaper, and then runs into the woods. Chen says that that was creepy, but then Mina reads the paper, and puts on an upset face, telling Kaila and Chen that it says that Azula has tracked down the rebel assassin base in the Fire Nation, and has eliminated every assassin. Chen gulps, saying that those assassins could of very well saved the world. Kaila sighs, and then tells Mina and Chen that she doubts the assassins could have killed Azula anyway. Chen agrees, though Mina is still upset, saying that maybe what the gypsy said may be true after all.

The team then continues walking through the woods. Eventually, night falls. The kids set up camp, though Mina doesn't feel right, and decides not to go to sleep. Kaila and Chen quickly go to sleep, though they soon wake up, both of them experiencing horrific nightmares. Mina asks them both about their dreams, though the two both suddenly forget. Suddenly, Mina, Kaila, Chen, and Momo are encased in a rock. Two Dai Li agents then reveal themselves, one of them saying "Welcome to Nightmare Forest. You're under arrest." The three kids struggle and squirm but, the Dai Li agents close the rocks in on them. The other one them digs his hand into the rock encasing the kids, and drags them away. Mina asks where they are taking them, and the agents tell her that the kids are going to be shipped to the Fire Nation Capital.

Mina and Kaila continue squirming, though eventually they give up. Just before all hope seems lost, Momo flies above the agents and drops a series of rocks on their heads. The agents fall down momentarily. Seeing their chance, the team squirms in their little rock cases, but then, suddenly, the rock they are in blows into pieces. The three kids all look in shock at what they did, and they all ponder over who could have done it, as none of them are Earthbenders. Mina is of course the prime "suspect" due to her heritage, though the team is no longer able to "debate" as the Dai Li agents get up. Mina asks if she can do the honors, and Kaila and Chen happily comply. Mina quickly defeats the agents, and the team runs away. They then return to their camp, quickly pack their things, and leave, not wanting any part of the creepy forest anymore.

Back in the scene of the battle, the two Dai Li agents finish removing all Mina's arrows from their robes. The two then come to the conclusion that Mina is an Earthbender, as she is of Earth Kingdom heritage. They quickly write a Messenger Hawk, and send the information to the Palace. Meanwhile, Mina tries to see if she is an Earthbender by trying to move rocks, though she is unsuccessful. Kaila can't help but giggle at Mina's faulty stance, though even Mina also thinks that the idea of her being an Earthbender is ridiculous. As the team laughs, Chen accidentally runs into a sign. Mina and Kaila help him up, though as they help lift him, they quickly drop him on the ground again after reading the sign, which says: "You're now in Kein Forest". The three kids then smile.

Trivia

The gypsy's name is based on the main gypsy in the book The Hunchback of Notre Dame.